Anytime Muffins

I love a hot muffin on a cool day.  Pair with a cup of hot tea (or coffee) for a wonderful treat.  These muffins are great when reheated also. Please note these are not strict Paleo!  But are still gluten free and healthy.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup coconut sugar or maple syrup
1 cup mashed bananas
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 eggs
1/2 cacoa nibs (or dark chocolate chips with no sugar)
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

preheat oven to 350 and line a standard muffin tin with paper liners.
mix all ingredients and divide into muffin cups
bake for about 20 minutes or until slightly browned
be sure to store in refrigerator after they have cooled

Pumpkin Pie Hoedown

Hey everyone!  No pics this time; but, I since this pie was such at hit at our Bible Study Group's 'hoedown' tonight, I wanted to share it with you.

I'm personally not a huge fan of pumpkin but this is really good and will have even your pickiest dessert fan happy.  It is super easy ad can be baked in pie crust of your choice or with no crust at all.

Tonight I made a crust of 1 1/2 cups graham flour, 3 tablespoons coconut sugar, and 4 tablespoons of melted butter. Bake for about 5 minutes at 350 before filling with pie.

For the filling mix together:
1 can pumpkin (NOT pie filling)
1 vanilla bean, scraped
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
2 pinches nutmeg
pinch of sea salt
4 eggs
1/4 cup coconut sugar (if you can't find coconut sugar, use the same amount of maple syrup)
1 cup full-fat coconut milk

pour into crust or pie pan
Bake at 350 for approximately 45 minutes or until set

mix together 1 cup coconut cream*  (if you can't find coconut cream, use the top part of coconut milk that has settled and follow directions below),  3 tablespoons coconut sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla
spread mixture on top of baked pie and bake for another 5 minutes.
cool completely before refrigerating

I like to make my own coconut cream (which is similar to sour cream).  I make it by mixing 1 cup of the top layer of coconut milk with 1 teaspoon of white vinegar.  Let it set at room temperature for 24 hours stirring occasionally.  Then store in fridge until ready to use.  (this is what I always use!)

YUMMY! Red Curry Beef

We have just purchased a half of a grass fed beef; SO, you'll probably be seeing lots of beef recipes.  This one was a hit!  Red Curry Beef over Cauliflower 'rice'.  Even my picky hubby loved it.  If you purchase pre-sliced meat, it is super easy.  I used a round steak and sliced myself so it was a little more work.  But worth the effort.  This is another slow cooker recipe (except the cauliflower).

The cauliflower was an accident (I must admit).  I was trying to make faux mashed potatoes.  Ha!  I steamed cauliflower and tried to mash it with my potato masher.  It was like little grains of rice.   Now I know you need to either use a food processor or cook it until it is super tender.  Either way just add some seasonings and a little butter and you have rice/potatoes.

For the Red Curry Beef

2-3 pounds beef cut into fajita strips
3 tablespoons red curry paste (found in Asian food department)
1 can coconut milk
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes

Place all ingredients in slow cooker.  Stir, cover, and cook on low for 4 hours.  Serve over rice/potatoes.

Delicious and serves 4-6 folks.

Hope you enjoy it.

Cream of Broccoli Soup Goes Paleo

Fall is in the air, football season has started, and the soup is on!  I love a nice bowl of soup anytime of year.  But fall and soup just seem to go 'hand in hand'.  Cream of Broccoli soup has always been a favorite of mine and making it Paleo friendly made it even better.   This soup is made in a  slow cooker and couldn't be any easier.  It is creamy and delicious.  You simply have to try it!

Coconut Cream of Broccoli Soup

1 medium yellow onion, diced
4 celery stalks, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons coconut oil
3 tablespoons coconut flour
1 can coconut milk
2 cups chicken broth
5 cups broccoli florets
seasonings to taste (salt, pepper, red pepper, thyme, basil, garlic powder, onion powder)

Saute the onion, celery, and garlic in 1 tablespoon coconut oil until onions are translucent.  Place mixture in slow cooker.  In same pan/pot, heat 2 remaining tablespoons coconut oil.  Add coconut flour slowly whisking constantly to prevent lumps.  Add coconut milk, again, continuously whisking.   When mixed well add to slow cooker.  Add broth and spices to slow cooker and mix well.  Add broccoli.  Cover and cook for 6-8 hours.

HINT - Don't skimp on the seasonings.

Summer IS Tomatoes - Day 2

Have you ever had Whole Foods tomato and zucchini soup?  It is wonderful! It is hearty and healthy!  I am not a fan of tomato soup but I love this soup.  I have such an abundance of tomatoes that I decided to try making it.  AND it is a good thing I have lots of tomatoes because it took several tries.  Since we don't have a Whole Foods nearby, I had to trust my memory for taste testing....and that is not always a good thing.  But have several attempts I've created a really good tomato and zucchini soup that I think is a close second.

Peel, core and chop approximately 10 tomatoes.  Then crush them (potato masher or food processor or blender - your choice). Add 1 grated carrot and the following spices: 1/2 teaspoon each rosemary, thyme, basil, salt, pepper.  Place in pot and heat to simmer.

At 400 degrees roast the following vegetables:  2 sliced and diced zucchinis, 1/4 of a red onion, 1/4 of a green bell pepper, 3-4 cloves garlic.  I roasted mine on parchment paper.  When veggies begin to brown they are ready!  Remove from oven and let cool.  When cooled enough to handle finely dice all veggies.  (Zucchini will not need dicing as it will be 'falling apart' already).  Add veggies to tomato base.  Slowly add 1/4 cup of half and half and 1 cup of broth (your choice of flavor) to soup.

Simmer soup for 2-3 hours to infuse all the flavors.

This is a hearty soup that is good year round.  I 'perfected' my recipe today and had it for lunch.  Or at least to me it is 'perfect'.  Hope you enjoy it.

Summer IS Tomatoes - Day 1

 Summer means tomatoes and I love tomatoes!  I am allergic and I break out in a rash if I eat very many.....BUT I LOVE tomatoes.....so I eat them anyway......after all, summer is the only time you can get 'real' tomatoes.  I thought I spend the next few days sharing a few of my tomato favorites with you.

This a tomato and cucumber salad.  It is super easy and great tasting.  You can also vary the seasonings.  This one is made with mint and is a refreshing side dish or wonderful alone.

Core, seed and chop approximately 1 pound of tomatoes.
Chop 3-4 cucumbers.  (I actually used 1 large English cucumber in this variation)
Dice 1/2 cup red onion.
Toss all in a large bowl.
In separate bowl mix 4 tablespoons lemon juice and 4 tablespoons olive oil.  Then add seasonings of your choice and salt/pepper.  Pour over tomato mixture.  Chill and enjoy!  Keeps for several days in the fridge.

For the salad in this picture I used fresh mint (chopped) as my seasoning.
Other times I have used garlic or rosemary or crushed red pepper and even cilantro.  Be creative!

Acorn Squash!

I love acorn squash!  But I have a really hard time finding different ways to prepare it.  It is a winter squash so should be limited on a Paleo eating plan.  But it is a nice variation from summer squash.
I found this recipe and modified.  I have made it twice in an effort to 'get it like I wanted it' and I think I have it.

Try it and see what you think.

This recipe serves 2.
1 acorn squash, halved and seeds removed
1/2 pound of ground Italian sausage (turkey or pork)
1/2 cup diced onion
1 cup diced mushrooms
1 cup spinach leaves
1/4 cup diced bell pepper

brown sausage, onion, and pepper.  Drain thoroughly and stir in mushrooms and spinach.  Cook for 2-3 minutes.  Stuff into the cavity of squash.  (I put a little cheese on top of Lawrence's)

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

We both loved it!  Add a salad on the side and you have a complete meal.

Yes, it really is Paleo!

Warm banana bread is the greatest!  And just because you are eating Paleo doesn't mean you can't enjoy a piece....or two.....  This banana bread is made in your slow cooker and couldn't be any simpler or healthier.

Be sure you line your slow cooker with parchment paper OR it will stick to your cooker!  Trust me - I know this for a fact!  It is not hearsay!  LOL

You will need: 3-4 ripe bananas, 1/4 cup melted coconut oil, 1/2 cup honey, 1 tablespoon vanilla flavoring, 3 tablespoons of coconut milk, 3 eggs, 2 cups of almond (or coconut) flour, and 1 teaspoon baking soda.

Optional - add chopped nuts of your choice.

In large bowl, mash the bananas with a fork.  Add the melted coconut oil.  Stir in the honey, vanilla, milk, and eggs.  Lastly, add the flour ad baking soda.  Pour the mixture into your LINED slow cooker and cook on low until the center of bread is cooked.  The time will depend upon your cooker.  Mine took 2 1/2 hours.  Carefully remove bread by lifting the parchment paper.

Enjoy!  Great for snack or breakfast!

Your New BFF

The Slow Cooker - what an awesome concept!  Especially for those of you that don't know how or just don't like to cook.  Sure it takes a little planning....but most things do.  However, once everything is in the pot.....you leave it alone for hours!  How much simpler can it be?

I remember my Mom used a slow cooker; but, only for pot roast.  Can you say archaic?  There is so much more to do with your slow cooker.  I've even baked banana bread in mine.  Paleo banana bread at that!  I'll have to share in a later blog because today I want to share Chipotle Chicken Stew with you.

This is a great recipe as you can prepare all the ingredients the night before and toss in slow cooker in morning before you start your day.  Easy, easy, easy!

Don't let 'chipotle' put you off - this is not spicy hot.  My husband is the pickest eater ever!  He wasn't too sure about even trying this because of the root vegetables.  Remember, he grew up with a Yankee Mom that did not even know what a turnip root or rutabaga looked like!  However, he supports my endeavors and gave it a try.  I don't know who was more surprised that he loved it - me or him!  The butternut squash gives it just a touch of sweetness that makes it almost irresistible.  So, let's get on with it - shall we?

Chipotle Chicken Stew

Serves 4

3 boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces, marinated overnight (marinade recipe below)
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 turnip root, cut into 3/4 inch cubes
1 rutabaga, cut into 3/4 inch cubes
1 butternut squash, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, juice and all
3 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon each of black pepper, paprika, sage, allspice, basil, ground chili pepper

Marinade - In food processor, blend:  3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, 3 cloves garlic, 1/4 cup honey, 1 tablespoon ground mustard, 1 teaspoon chili powder, 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 1 8 ounce can tomato sauce, 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.
place marinade and chicken in plastic gallon bag and marinate overnight.

Marinate chicken overnight.  The next morning place coconut oil in bottom of slow cooker.  Add chopped onion in bottom of cooker.  Spread turnip, rutabaga, and butternut squash evenly on top of onion.  Place drained chicken on top (discard marinade).  Add rest of ingredients, cover and cook for 6 hours.

This is really worth the effort!  I hope you give it a try!

I scream! you scream! we all scream for ice cream!  Nothing is better than a few scoops of cold ice cream on a hot day.  And the days are beginning to get hot already! Ice cream in the South is not a luxury!  It is a staple!

This is the easiest ice cream I have ever made.....hands down!  But you will need an ice cream maker.  I use and recommend the Cuisinart 2 quart ice and yogurt maker.  It only takes about 25 minutes and you'll have smooth and creamy ice cream.

The photo is of my Coconut Strawberry ice cream.  You can vary the ingredients to make other flavors. 

Ingredients (for the 2 quart maker):

2 cans of coconut milk

1/4 cup of raw honey

THAT'S IT!!!! Just mix and follow the directions of your ice cream maker.

Make sure you blend it well as coconut milk tends to be 'clumpy'.  Customize to your taste.  Use almond milk instead of coconut milk.  Add fresh chopped fruit. Add grated vanilla beans.  Add grated dark chocolate.  Use your imagination!  

And if you do have some left over....it freezes well!  It stays smooth and creamy.

Hope you enjoy it!

Paleo Information Overload????

It's been awhile and I apologize. I've tried lots of new recipes but just have been motivated to write.  But I've had so many of you send me questions, etc., I feel the pressure!!  Just kidding about the pressure.  You have motivated me.

So let me answer questions about books I like. I will discuss them in order of my favorites.  Please don't be offended if it's not your favorite as this is my personal opinion.

My absolute favorite is "The Paleo Solution" by Robb Wolf.  The reasons behind Paelo are explained very clearly.  If you don't understand the why, you won't adhere to this lifestyle.  This book also has an excellent 30 day meal plan with recipes included.  It is a great book for beginning the Paleo lifestyle.

"Wheat Belly" by William Davis is another must have.  It has very few recipes; however, it is full of some very basic and important information.

I absolutely love "Paleo Slow Cooking" by Chrissy Gower!  I am usually busy sewing everyday and sometimes I forget to plan our evening meal.  So, when my quitting time arrives I sometimes seem to be scrambling for dinner ideas.  When that happens I tend to fall back on meat and salad!  This book has a lot of simple slow cooker recipes and the ones I've tried are very good!  This book is a must have for the busy bee!

"Everyday Paleo" by Sarah Fragoso is another good book.  Not only is this book full of great recipes it also has specific eating plans for your needs and/or goals.  I love it!

 And "The Everything Paleolithic Diet Book" by Jodie ad Gilaad Cohen is also a great book.  There are some great recipes here also.

These books can become expensive so I recommend using internet sources as often as possible.  Sometimes you can find these books on Amazon at reasonable prices.  And there are some great websites with both information and recipes for the Paleo lifestyle.  One really good one is www.paleoplan.com.

Hope this helps give you an idea of which book you'd like.  Happy Paleo!  and talk with you later!

Batman!

Always be yourself.......unless you can be Batman....if you can choose, always be Batman!

This is my husband's favorite saying.  I know the man had a Batman lunch box.  You remember the old metal lunch boxes we carried to school?  I'll bet you had one yourself.  I had a different one every year.  But I'd bet on it - Lawrence always had a Batman lunch box!

Lunches are an enigma when eating Paleo.  There is only so much you can put in a lunch box.  I admitted we're not 'squeaky clean' Paleo and the lunch box is our 'dirty' area.  I mean.......please.......give me a break here.  I'm doing the best I can.  You can't expect Batman to eat raw veggies and slabs of meat for lunch....can you?   Well, maybe....but not my Batman!

Lawrence tries to cooperate with me on this Paleo stuff but he has drawn the line a few times and he has just done so again!  Sigh......the lunch box.

Our dirty little secret is wraps........we use tortilla wraps in his lunch box.  We DO use the low carb spinach wraps, etc.  He has had chicken wraps, beef wraps, ham wraps, and veggie wraps.  The one thing he hasn't had since we started this new life style is a PBJ sandwich.  (Just in case you don't know - that's peanut butter and jelly sandwich).

Peanut butter is a no-no.  Jelly is a no-no.  Bread is a no-no.  So basically, a PBJ sandwich is a big no-no!  And it's his all-time favorite sandwich.  It's been such a big part of our life.  He even passed the love on to our children.  Katie had a PBJ sandwich in her lunchbox every single day until she started high school.  I offered options; but, nope - she'd only take a PBJ sandwich. She even broke her toe at a very young age trying to sneak a large jar of peanut butter from the cabinet.  At least Josh tried other sandwiches in his lunch box - but not until middle school! Until 6th grade it was PBJ all the way for him! This family has an obsession with peanut butter.  I kid you not!

Just to give you an even clearer picture.......Josh and Katie eat really 'clean' and healthy.  BUT when they come home their only request is for me to make 'regular' biscuits so they can have peanut butter and syrup.  (Now, that's another story!)

Back to the lunch box enigma.  I decided to surprise Lawrence with a "PBJ" wrap.  Not a good idea, by the way.  I was so proud of myself.  I spread the wrap with peanut butter (yep, I treated him with real peanut butter) and jelly (really just crushed fruit with no sugar).  And I rolled it up -   very carefully and put it in a plastic container.  Did I say it.....so proud of myself! He was going to be so surprised!  And boy was he!

This is his re-cap of lunch.  Close to lunch time he began thinking, "I think I saw the peanut butter jar out this mornning.  I bet there's a PBJ sandwich in my lunch box. Yum."  And then he opened it up and.....a wrap. "Well, this is different."

 Bite number one.....jelly runs out the end onto his hand.  "This is going to be messy.  I'll hold it over the container."   Second bite....lots of jelly in the container.  Third bite.......nothing but peanut butter and the flavor of jelly!  All the jelly went out the end!  And yes, I had it folded properly!

Lesson -Don't try this at home!  PBJ wraps DO NOT work!  Just get a loaf of  bread and treat yourself to a real PBJ sandwich.  There is NO substitute!

Grits and Dogs and Paleo....oh my!

Grits......
How do I love thee, let me count the ways.
I love thee with butter
I love thee with eggs
I love thee with bacon
I love thee with ham
I love thee with sausage
But please not with the yams!


Yams (sweet potatoes) for breakfast????  That is one of the recommended breakfast Paleo foods.  Sorry, folks.....did you read my day 1 posting?   I was born and bred in the South!  Sweet taters are not a breakfast food!  For we Southerners, Paleo breakfasts are a struggle and I am asked quite often about our breakfast.  Eggs and meat are the only common breakfast food of Southern food and Paleo food.

You can have eggs any way you want them.....boiled eggs, scrambled eggs, eggs made in an omelet (no cheese), poached eggs (yeah, right!), or fried eggs.  Yep, fried eggs are allowed.  They can be fried in olive oil, coconut oil, or your bacon drippings.  DID I say bacon?  I did!  Remember.....meats are common food...

So you can have eggs and bacon, eggs and sausage, eggs and ham, eggs and chicken, eggs and veggies......but it's still an egg.

What I really want is GRITS and eggs!  But that just doesn't happen in this house anymore.  We used to make a breakfast casserole - eggs, grits, sausage, and cheese - so yummy.   But no more.  It was a sad day when I tossed by bag of grits in the trash!  I almost cried (I did say almost)!  Not only was the casserole yummy but the best part was I could make it and we would eat on it for days.  Hence, I didn't have to cook at 6 am every morning!

So, I go through all the Paleo recipes and here's what I found - Swirly Crustless Quiche - made in either muffin pan or 9" x 13" pan!  Oh joy!  I won't have to cook for a few mornings!  Or so I thought.

Here's the story.  I decided to cook this yesterday to have for today and Wednesday and Thursday morning.  (makes 6 servings, 1 per day for each of us).  It was so easy to make and bake.  But here's what I learned.  If you use a muffin pan, use cup liners.  Oiling pan is NOT enough!  Your pan will never be the same!
If you're putting them on a cooling rack.......well.....

Here's that story...  I put extra muffins on the cooling rack to cool while I ate my muffin.  My muffin was delicious!  But the others were still too warm to put in a plastic bag.  So I left them to cool more while I did some house cleaning.  I went to put the muffins in the bag and...wait....there are only 3 muffins!  I know I only ate one....didn't I?  Thought process....yes, I did. ..it did make 6, didn't it?   Looked in the sink at pan soaking....yes, 6 were made....I'm not completely crazy!  Then it hit me.....Abby!  Abby is our 70 pound standard poodle.  During her last pregnancy she started taking items from the counter.  Never sweets, just 'bread' type items.  Leaving cookies cooling - not a big deal.  Muffins....oh yeah, she likes 'em..... no proof....no crumbs....nothing.....but I KNOW!

We love feeding our dogs the 'raw food diet'.....but Paleo?  She obviously loves these muffins as I was stupid enough to leave my muffin on counter this morning while I was making my coffee and when I turned around.....can I say disappearing act?  But this time there were crumbs in her curls...GUILTY as charged!  I had one left and I kept my eyes on it!  So, what should have been breakfast through Thursday barely made it through today.  However, I learned some important things to share (I'll also share the recipe).

1.  Use a muffin pan, use liners!
2.  Abby is now on Paleo eating plan....ha!
3.  Swirly Crustless Quiche muffins are just as good as a leftover as they were freshly baked.
4.  Cool them out of reach of Abby!


Here's the recipe.

Swirly Crustless Quiche

1 large zucchini, shredded or grated
2 large carrots, shredded or grated
12 eggs, beaten
sea salt and black pepper
your choice of other seasonings (rosemary, sage, thyme, etc.)

I recommend adding either 1/2 pound ground sausage (cooked and drained) or cooked bacon (drained and crumbled).  It really needs this extra flavor even though printed recipe didn't list it.

Other suggestions - swap seasoning to lemongrass, lemon peel and orange peel
                              add crushed red pepper flakes for a little zing
                              add onions and/or jalepenos
                              swap veggies (broccoli, sweet potatoes)

Bake at 375 for approx 45 min or until lightly browned.

Now......back to the kitchen.....what I shall I try today?

                             

Not until I get my coffee!

Blogging - Day 1

I love to cook and I love to eat what I cook.  THUS, the dilemma.....you know....oh, yes you do!  Cooking + eating = pounds on the hips!

Anyone that has ever visited in our home knows how 'peculiar' we are about our food.  There is no sugar in our house, no colas of any kind, and no breads - white or otherwise.   I wish I could tell you we don't like those things....but we do! But we have made a conscious choice.  Food will be fuel for our bodies and not a reward or comfort as we were taught growing up.  Or at least, I was....my husband's Mother is a definite Yankee and good for him he never grew up with true Southern food.  But boy, oh boy, I did!  And when we were married....well......he really learned to enjoy his food! I taught him the real way to eat Southern!

See, I was born and raised in the South....the DEEP South!  My home's in Dixie - that's Alabama for you Yankees.  We had either cornbread or biscuits every day.  And I do mean every day!  All meals consisted of grits, rice, or potatoes (along with that bread).  Frying was the basis of all cooking.  And sugar makes everything taste good!  Desserts were not an option.  They were ALWAYS part of supper.  Again, for the city folks.....that's dinner, the evening meal.

We started cleaning up our 'act' years ago because we wanted not just longevity of life but quality of life, too.   I would love to tell you we are 'squeaky clean' - but that just wouldn't be true!  We still love to eat and there are days we go 'dirty' and eat off the grid!  They are fewer and fewer; but still, they are there.

I decided to write this blog because of all the questions I receive from friends and family.  What do you eat in place of bread?  pasta?  soda?  What is a healthy dessert?  I don't know all the answers but I'd like to share with you the recipes I try and the information I gather.  And share the experiences had while on this journey in pursuit of a healthy life.  We eat semi-Paleo.  'Semi', you ask?  Yes, because where we live it is so difficult to find organic anything!  So, we do the best we can.

First, let me tell you about our coffee.  No way, no how are we giving up our coffee!  We NEED our coffee.  I'm sure you understand!  However, what we really enjoy is the 'stuff' we put in our coffee.....French vanilla liquid coffee creamer....and lots of it.....white and sweet coffee.  Really, it was just a little coffee in our creamer! Ha!  We drink 2-3 cups a day and that's a lot of sugar.  We don't use artificial sweeteners of any kind; so, those creamers are not an option.  So, I'd like to share our very own coffee creamer recipe with you.....Paleo style.

mix together
1 quart heavy whipping cream (yep, that's right!  has no sugar!)
1 can of coconut milk
3-4 vanilla beans (or a small bottle of vanilla flavoring)
1/8 cup of honey (there we go......some sweetener...that's what I'm talking about!)
Store in fridge

No, it's not quite the same.  No, it's not quite as good.  YES, it is healthy!   I promise after just a few days you won't go back!  I have to give credit here - our sweet Paleo-friendly daughter helped with the development of this recipe.

So......there's your recipe for the day!  Check back tomorrow to see what's cooking.....Southern Paleo Style!